Below is the link to the play:
Journal #1--due date 1/11--Sketch the stage as it appears in the opening scene. Use colored pencils. There are at least 19 items given.
Act I questions to answer:
1. What crimes has Nora committed?
2. Do Nora's motives for committing the crime excuse her in any way?
3. What do Nora's tree decorating and chattering at the end of the act reveal about her character?
Complete the following journal (#4): due date Feb. 7
Compare/ contrast the values/truths/ideals of these characters. Briefly describe what each believes is most important in terms of character traits and moral beliefs. Make a case for two characters that you see as "complementary" to each other in terms of their beliefs. "Complementary" characters need not be opposites (though they could be); complementary implies connection, balance, working together in some sense to make a point that the playwright believes is important.
Nora Helmer Torvald Helmer Nils Krogstad Christine Linde(n) Dr. Rank
Which characters do you believe function as Ibsen's mouthpiece and how so?
What I'm looking for with this journal is for you first of all to explain the motivation for each of the five characters. What is it each wants?
THEN, pick two characters and explain how they are connected in some way to bring out something that Ibsen wants to say by writing this play. For example, if he wanted to make a point that children should be seen and not heard (and he ISN'T making this point, so that's why I'm using this), he might use Dr. Rank and Christine to make that point since neither of them have children and at this point aren't likely to have any of their own. Therefore, they don't have an appreciation of how the other characters can cope with the frustrations of children being loud and silly.
FINALLY, which character(s) do you think do the best job at presenting what Ibsen was really trying to say by writing this play? How was the character used in the course of the play to speak to the audience about something Ibsen felt they needed to hear?
Journal #5--due date Feb. 9--
Many Ibsen critics argue that A Doll's House is not a feminist play, and is more about asserting self regardless of gender. Yet Joan Templeton, in her afterward to the Signet Classics edition of Ibsen: Four Major Plays Volume 1, disagrees, asserting that "Make (Nora) a man, and the play becomes not only ludicrous, but impossible." What do you think? Is A Doll's House a play about feminism or humanism? Explain.
Journal #6--due date Feb. 13--
Take a look at the list you have made from Journal 2 (below). From this list, choose three props or devices that you believe have a critical function. Is that function emphatic, ironic, or satiric? Does Ibsen go so far as to use the prop as a metaphor? Explain.
EMPHATIC function=to emphasize something. EX: sunny, little, yellow curtains, dress
IRONIC function=prop represents a contrasting quality; irony. EX: sunny, yellow dress on a villain
SATIRIC function=to ridicule or make fun of. EX: a sunny dress on a man
You will need three separate paragraphs here--one for each of the devices with the inclusion of whether or not it is also a metaphor.
VIRTUAL ASSIGNMENT FOR WEEK OF JANUARY 17-24:
Journal #2--ongoing; due at the end of the reading--DUE DATE 1/24--To focus on the theatrical devices such as costumes, sounds, and props, keep a record of the devices used in A Doll's House and the effects the devices have on the audience. Divide the paper in half with a vertical line. On the left of the line, write the theatrical device, such as "Nora's macaroons." To the right of the line, write the effect of the device on the audience. An example might read, "The macaroons reveal Nora's secret rebellion." You will need a minimum of 10 items covering all three acts. Keep a running list going as we move through the scenes and acts.
You will be using this list to complete an addition journal, so make sure to keep it up-to-date and comprehensive.
Journal #3--DUE DATE FEB. 3--A Doll's House is full of references to dolls, puppets, and playthings. Trace these references/motifs throughout the play while summarizing Ibsen's ideas about gender and societal roles. You should have a minimum of five examples, with explanations, and the inclusion of your summary.